Child's Play: It's Not About The Prize At The End
by TheFifthSister
Summary: An evening at the Carnival for the Warehouse family. Prompt from Imagine Your OTP "Imagine your OTP at an amusement park. Person A wins the biggest stuffed animal for Person B from a ring toss game"


HG walked along hand in hand with Myka through the milling crowd of townsfolk, looking at the sights and sounds of the carnival around them. It wasn't often they spent time with the other inhabitants of Univille, the small town never really warming to them entirely, but since having Emma they'd gotten to know a few people when they'd been at a store or the doctors or in the park.

She watched as Emma ran ahead of them holding one of Claudia's hands and one of Pete's as the two of them swung her between them. She kept pulling Claudia over to different rides and attractions and asking her questions about them. They were all taking turns to do something with her. Pete had taken her on the fun slide several times. She'd ridden the Carousel sitting with Claudia, Myka and HG on a horse beside her watching and laughing as she enjoyed the ride. She'd squealed with delight as she rode the Ferris Wheel with her moms. She really wasn't afraid of heights, instead loving the chance to be up high. HG remembered feeling less enthusiastic the first time Myka had dragged her on the ride back on one of their first dates. She'd come to enjoy it more since then and watching Emma mesmerized as they sat above the town was a joyful moment as Myka tried to point out where their house was to her.

"Okay kiddo, what are we going on then?" Steve asked Emma. She stopped walking, looking around and smiled.

"That please Uncie Steve?"

HG and Myka looked on with amusement as Emma then begged Steve to take her to ride the teacups. Steve looked at them for permission, Myka nodded. Steve took her hand and led her to the back of the queue. "Don't leave Uncle Steve's side young lady," she called after them.

"Gonna go and get some snacks," Claudia told them. "I'll bring back some stuff for everyone."

Myka turned to find out where Pete had gone, watching him as he tried his luck at the milk bottle booth. She pulled HG over to watch him throwing baseballs trying to knock the bottles over but not having any luck.

"A swing and a miss Lattimer?" Myka teased.

"These things are rigged," Pete whined, stuffing his hands in his pockets and refusing any more attempts at the game.

HG flicked her gaze over the booth, shrugging. "It hardly seems that difficult."

Pete made a face at her. "It is, it is that difficult, alright. I've been trying these things since I was a kid."

HG rolled her eyes, smirking at Myka. Myka knew exactly what about to happen. "Pete, you simply throw the ball at the bottles. How hard is that?"

Pete moved out of their way, gesturing for HG to take her place. "Let's see you try then grandma."

Uh oh. Myka cringed. There was no way HG was going to back down from this challenge and it was either going to end up with the two of them bickering or one of them sulking for the rest of the evening.

"Let's not..." Myka tried to intervene.

"No Myka," HG stopped her. "If Pete wants to play this game then I'm on board. How about we make it interesting Agent Lattimer?"

Oh, it was like pouring gasoline on a fire with these two sometimes. She was glad Emma was playing with Steve right now and not witnessing her mother and Uncle about to bicker like children. It amazed her how her four year old daughter could be more mature sometimes.

"Oh ho," Pete laughed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm," HG thought for a second. "If I win this attraction then you have to do my inventory... and if I lose then I'll finish your latest mission report."

Pete smiled. "Deal."

HG placed money on the counter, taking her three balls when they were handed to her. HG hefted one of the balls, experimentally testing the weight. Myka saw the tilt of her head, recognised the movement. She watched Pete watching her closely waiting for her to throw. He didn't know this wasn't actually the first time HG had done this like he clearly thought. She'd attempted this the first time Myka had taken her to a fair and spent day later learning about the various ways that the game could be rigged and working out how to overcome the problem. Myka knew her wife was analysing and finding the vulnerable point. She wound her arm back and threw the ball, knocking the bottles down in one.

Hands on her hips she turned to Pete, a smirk plastered on her face.

"When she offered to do your mission reports when she won't do her own you should have been worried Pete," Myka pointed out, scratching her neck and trying not to laugh at the look on his face.

"Alright, beginners luck." Pete didn't notice the devilish glare that flickered in HG's eyes the way Myka did.

She turned and picked up the next ball and let it fly at the now restacked bottles knocking them down again and repeating the process a third time. She took a stuffed rabbit from the gentleman, smiled and strode back to her wife's side handing her the prize.

"Here you go darling," HG smiled smugly, as Pete looked at her slack jawed.

"I did try to warn you," Myka poked him. "You should know by now to never challenge her to anything." She slipped an arm around HG's waist and pulled her close.

"I know when I'm beat," Pete held his hands up in surrender before narrowing his eyes and pointing at HG. "You win this one Wells."

Suddenly the return of Claudia and an arm full of food caught his attention and he rushed to her side, relieving her of some of her load.

"Thank you for the rabbit," Myka kissed HG soundly.

"Thank you for not telling him my secret," HG kissed her again before they followed after Pete.

"Just don't rub it in too much."

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!" A little voice called out as Emma ran towards them, Steve in tow, and threw herself at HG.

"Done already?" HG laughed. "Did you enjoy that?"

Emma looked up at her with a huge grin and nodded her head.

"Here you go munchkin," Claudia handed her a small stick of cotton candy.

Myka groaned. HG nudged her. "Let her enjoy it. This is her first time at the fair after all."

"Okay," Myka relented, teasing her wife. "But if she doesn't sleep tonight from all the junk food you're staying up with her!"

"Thank you," Emma smiled up at her Aunt. Pete picked her up and swung her on to his shoulder and then continued stuffing his face with the doughnuts he'd taken from Claudia. Claudia handed a pretzel to Myka which she shared with HG and one to Steve.

"So, who's up for the haybale ride while we gouge ourselves?" Pete asked, already walking towards the ride with Emma. Claudia and Steve agreed and Myka and HG bought up the rear.

HG walked along, hand in hand with her wife listening to her family in front of her. Claudia reminding Steve that he owed her a go on the bumper cars and Emma directing Pete around like he was a horse. She smiled, content.


End file.
